Fighting the Shadows
by IWillBelieveIt
Summary: One-shot, AU of 'The Shadow Games.' When all-too-familiar face shows up to help get Keri out of The Shadow Games, a friend is almost lost, but a love is also reignited in the process.


**This is something I came up with when I was bored. I basically just said to myself - "What if Zoe turned up just after Keri's fight with The Monster and took her place in the final round?" - and this was born. I hope you guys like it, I personally had a lot of fun writing it. I had an excuse to watch 'The Shadow Games' again, so I was happy. ;) Anyway, this is 'Fighting the Shadows'. Enjoy!**

* * *

Keri stood off to the side, unsure of what to do next as two men both dressed in those ugly KORPS uniforms moved forward to take away The Monster. She had two conflicting sets of emotions swirling within her - the urge to burst into tears and the desire to celebrate because she'd just defeated one of the world's greatest assasins. She heard the sound of an iron door opening and she turned towards it, shifting into a defensive pose, which was a mix of Dan's and Aneisha's. No one else moved towards her, wanting to hurt her. All she saw when she turned to the sound was a corridor which she couldn't see the end of. Swallowing her fear, Keri moved into it, her feet moving slowly as her eyes darted back and forth. She gasped and whirled when she heard the door close behind her, enveloping her in dull light. Turning back around and swallowing her fear again, Keri looked around.

"Keri."

Keri gasped when she saw a girl with gentle features and innocent green eyes standing in front of her. The girl had auburn hair the same colour as her own that framed her face and she was wearing an almost match to what Keri was wearing - tight black jumpsuit, high black boots, thick embellished black belt and a black leather jacket. Her hair was straightened and worn down. Keri had the feeling she should know who this girl was, but it was dark and this was KORPS. You could never know.

"I don't know a Keri. I'm the Spectre." Keri said, forcing her voice to remain level and menacing.

"Save it." The girl said. "You don't fool me."

With that, the girl pulled out a torch and turned it on, shining it into her face. She squinted against the sudden bright light and Keri's eyes widened as she recognized the girl she'd only ever heard about and seen a photo of.

"You're . . . You're Zoe." Keri said. "The girl Dan – "

"I'm not here to talk about Dan." Zoe said, a little too sharply. "I'm here to save your butt. Give me your mask."

"What are you going to do?" Keri asked as she took off the mask and handed it to Zoe, who put it on.

"I'm going to go fight Thalamus in your place. There's a door in ten metres to your right. That'll take you backstage. Just keep going. You'll find Dan and Aneisha and Tom eventually."

"They're here?"

Zoe nodded. "And they don't know I'm here. I'd like to keep it that way."

"Why? Why wouldn't you want Dan to know you're here?" Keri asked.

Zoe had to hand it to the girl - she may not have that much experience in and the attitude to be a spy, but she sure did know how to pull on people's heartstrings.

"Dan's better off without me in his life." Zoe said finally.

"You tell that to him." Keri said. "He's been miserable ever since you left, Zoe. I know he doesn't protect me because he wants to. I'm his least favourite person in the entire world because I'm a _living reminder _of what he's _lost_. He only looks after me because he feels he has to, because I'm your sister."

Keri saw tears sparkling in Zoe's eyes before the other girl blinked them away. "You don't need to tell me I'm causing him pain, Keri. I know that. Every day, I feel his pain. I carry it with me."

"Then why not take it away?" Keri asked. "If you come back, you take away all his pain, all his suffering. Why not _just come back_?"

Zoe took a deep breath. "You need to go."

Keri started to walk off, walking past Zoe without another word.

"Keri."

Keri turned to look back at her sister, who had a determined look in her green eyes. "Tell Dan that I'm proud of him. And that . . . I'll see him after the show."

Keri smiled and nodded. "I'll tell him."

Then she was gone.

Zoe turned and continued to walk down the corridor, discarding her torch.

* * *

Zoe stared across at Thalamus, keeping her gase level and her expression netural. Thalamus didn't look like much - he looked more like a lazy dad who liked Mexico a little too much, but if growing up in SKUL and working for MI9 had taught her nothing else, it had taught her to never judge people by how they looked, because even she herrself was someone not to be underestimated. She looked innocent and sweet, but anyone who _really_ knew her knew that she was a force to be reckoned with.

She wriggled her hand in the clamp that held it, but it didn't budge. As soon as she was released, she raised her hands and curled them into fists, making sure to show no signs of fear as she slowly crept towards lazy Mexican dad.

* * *

Meanwhile, Frank and Stella watched nervously. Something seemed off about Keri - her features were too gentle, the look in her eyes too naive.

"That's not Keri." Frank said.

"You're right." Stella replied. "Where's Keri? Who is that?"

With his imagination, Frank removed the mask from the girl's face. When he had a definite picture painted in his mind, he sucked in a breath, blue eyes opening wide.

"Frank?" Stella asked, turning to look at him. "What is it?"

"That's not Keri." Frank said, glancing quickly between Stella and the screen. "That's _Zoe_."

* * *

Aneisha watched as the redhead and Thalamus circled each other, each silently daring the other to make the first move. Suddenly Thalamus struck out with his leg - but the blow never made contact. Keri - or Aneisha though it was Keri - grabbed Thalamus's leg and shoved him back. Thalamas stumbled back a few steps, his eyes wide behind his mask.

Aneisha couldn't help the trickle of doubt that forced itself into her head. Keri shouldn't have been able to do that. But something about that fighting style _was_ very familiar. Then Thalamus moved forward, slamming into Keri and knocking her to the ground. As she fell, Aneisha caught sight of the girl's face. Now Aneisha was definitely sure that whoever she was, she wasn't Keri. Then who was she? And why did she seem so familiar?

"I don't think that's Keri." Aneisha said.

"Then who is she?" Dan hissed, forcing himself not to yell.

Aneisha turned back to the arena in time to see the girl get up and try to advance on Thalamus, but he struck at the side of her thigh and she fell again as her skin burned.

"Dan. . ." Aneisha said slowly. "I think you'd better get up here."

"Why?" Dan asked, uncrossing his arms. "Who do you think she is?"

"_I think_ you need to get up here before I _drag you _over here by that blonde hair of yours." Aneisha hissed, turning back to the fight as the redheaded girl got up, biting back whimpers of pain as she limped over to the big red metal door. She gripped onto the bars in the middle of it to keep hr upright as she glanced around, unknowingly giving Aneisha full view of her face with the exception of what the mask covered.

"Dan . . ." Aneisha started, but was cut off by the sound of a door opening. Both Dan and Tom looked up in surprise while Aneisha turned to see Keri stanind against the closed door, looking out of breath.

_"Keri?!"_ Dan asked. "Then who's that - "

"Zoe said to tell you that she's proud of you and that she'll see you after the show." Keri said, cutting him off.

"Zoe . . ." Dan said, looking confused.

_"That's what I've been trying to tell you_." Aneisha hissed at him.

"_It is hard to know when you will fail._" Thalamus said in an eerie, oddly soothing voice. Zoe's body sagged, the only things holding her upright being her grip on the bars as Thalamus continued, "_And when you have failed, what is to stop you from failing again and again? Give up and I promise it will be a quick and relatively painless defeat._"

Zoe rested her head against the door as Thalamus turned away from her, laughing quietly in that strange voice. As she did, Dan caught sight of the side of her face and he sucked in a deep breath. "Zoe . . ."

Dan moved up the steps to stand beside Aneisha, his fingers poking Zoe's slightly through the bars.

"Zoe." He said softly. "Zoe, it's me. It's Dan. Can you hear me?"

Zoe blinked and forced herself to remember Dan - the boy with hair like sunshine and a smile to match. Deep blue eyes that she could easily have drowned in. She remembered the way his body felt against her own when he hugged her, the way her heart fluttered when he said something that made her feel special.

"Dan." Zoe breathed, turning to the door and opening her eyes. Through the bars that ran horizontally and vertically at eye level, she could see intense blue eyes staring at her. She reached through the bars as much as she could and her fingertips only just brushed against Dan's cheek.

"Dan, I can't win." Zoe said softly.

"We can get you out." Dan told her. "But you have to lose."

"He'll kill me."

"_I will kill you_." Thalamus said. "_If you fight me_."

"No, he won't." Dan said. "I won't let him kill you. If you submit, he won't kill you. The second your match is over, someone will challenge Thalamus."

"Who?"

"Doesn't matter." Dan replied.

"Dan, I can't." Zoe whimpered.

"Yes, you can. I know you can. You know why? Because I love you and I believe in you. You can do this. I love you. Hold onto that."

Behind Dan and Aneisha, Tom and Keri exchanged a glance.

"Thought he'd never get around to telling her." Tom muttered. Keri bit back a grin, expecting Dan to turn around and tell them both to shut up. Instead, he remained completely focused on Zoe as she straightened up, releasing her hold on the bars. She moved away from the door as she and Thalamus started circling each other again. Dan's confession had reinstilled her morale and determination and he watched her movements intently.

Biting her lip, Keri shoved in beside Dan, unintentionally pushing Aneisha back. The darker-skinned girl moved back to stand beside Tom, who glanced over at her, but said nothing.

"_Face it, Spectre_." Thalamus said. "_You are just not up to this_!"

Then he struck, aiming for Zoe's stomach. The blow never landed, because Zoe grabbed his arm, holding him there.

"What's she doing?" Dan asked, glancing over his shoulder at Tom and Aneisha. Tom, looking frightened and confused, shrugged as the blonde turned back to the fight. Keri glanced across at Dan - she could see that it was taking him everything he had in him not to run out there and jump between Zoe and Thalamus.

"Don't you _dare_ tell me what I'm up to." Zoe told Thalamus, her voice low and menacing. Then she struck him in the stomach with one hand, causing the man to gasp and double over in pain. Then she shoved Thalamus away from her, watching as he stumbled backwards and tripped on his cape.

Keri took a deep breath. "_Thal_ -"

"What are you doing?" Dan asked, glancing across at her.

"She's practically signed her own death warrant." Keri told him. "I can do 'The Voice' - that thing that Thalamus does. I can make Thalamus submit and Zoe will win."

"And then she'll be in more trouble than you could ever imagine." Dan told her.

"What do you mean?" Keri asked, glancing quickly between Zoe and Thalamus and Dan.

"Whoever wins becomes the new Shadow Master." Aneisha explained. "When they win, they have to take off their mask and show their face."

"And she's defied KORPS. I wouldn't be surprised if the Crime Minster wants her dead." Tom added.

"Oh." Keri said, turning back to Dan. "But seriously, do you see any other option? Do you have any better ideas?"

Dan looked away and his jaw clenched. When he looked back at her, his blue eyes were determined. "Do it."

Keri turned back to the fight before Dan's voice saying her name made her look at him again. This time, his blue eyes were pleading.

"Save her, Keri. Please. I can't lose her again."

Keri offered him a small smile. "You won't, Dan. I promise."

Then she turned back to the fight, watching as Thalamus sat up on his knees and said, "_You cannot defeat me. It . . . is impossible_."

As Zoe neared him, Keri said, matching that creepy voice with her own; "_It's inevitable. Every attack that you make makes me grow stronger. There no kick, no punch, no move that you can do that won't come right - back - at you._"

Zoe knelt down in front of Thalamus as Keri said, "_It - is - over. You've . . . Been beaten_."

With that, Thalamus collapsed on the floor and Zoe stood, looking around her as two KORPS guards came out annd started loading Thalamas onto a stretcher. As they passed her, she heard Dan's voice - "You were supposed to lose. Now they'll now you're not The Spectre." Then, she heard Tom - "Get ready to run."

Thalamus didn't allow Tom and Dan load him onto the stretcher, instead he stumbled out, unsteady on his feet. Two other guards moved towards Zoe, their hands reaching for her mask.

"Wait!" Someone yelled and the guards stopped their movements. Zoe looked up as Alexis von Hades walked towards her, obviously dressed to fight as he said, "I claim the right as the next Shadow Master to fight for my own title."

Dan and Tom moved towards him, both objecting. The Shadow Master easily knocked Dan out first and Zoe watched in horror as Dan slumped against the wall as Alexis von Hades knocked Tom out too.

Zoe shifted into a defensive pose and then struck at him, again and again. Each time, he easily blocked. Zoe struck at him with her fist, but he grabbed her arm and sent her stumbling across the room. Zoe turned, her heart thundering against her ribcage in her chest as Alexis shifted into a defensive pose and said, looking at her pointedly, "You have learned much today. Now, learn this. Learn . . . when to die."

Zoe took a deep breath before she lunged, kicking at his hip. He dodged and shoved Zoe to the ground - as she rose, he hit her at the base of her neck and Zoe fell to the ground, unmoving.

She did not rise again.

* * *

When everyone had gone, Keri and Aneisha found their way out into the arena, both shouting Zoe's name. Dan was only just struggling his way into consciousness, but when he saw Zoe's still body he scrambled across the floor towards her, his heart heavy in his chest as he whimpered, "He didn't save her."

"You were right not to trust von Hades, Dan." Aneisha said, close to tears. "I'm so sorry."

Dan bent his head, tears running down his cheeks as he moaned Zoe's name. He cried for everything he'd lost - the girl with the big smile and the beautiful personality to match, despite everything she'd been through, the future he could have had with her, her innocent life, cut off too soon, a love forced to end before it had even begun. Dan bitterly remembered all the times Aneisha had teasingly called them Romeo and Juliet. Those nicknames were so fitting that it made his tears come faster and harder.

Keri glanced between Dan and her fallen sister, her guilt weighing down on her like a bag of wet sand. It was supposssed to be her in that arena - Zoe had come to save her and she'd paid the price for it. She'd died. Just when she'd decided to come back so that Dan wouldn't have to be in pain anymore, she'd died.

"He liked Zoe." Tom whimpered. "Why did he have to go so hard on her?"

Dan simply shook his head. He didn't know. He didn't want to know.

"Actually . . . he didn't."

Dan looked up, blue eyes staring down at Zoe's form as her green eyes - which had looked blank and dead only secnds before - now blinked and shone with life as Zoe sat up, pulling off Keri's mask.

"How?" Aneisha asked, a bright smile spreading across her mouth.

"I could tell he was holding back on me." Zoe said. "So when he told me to learn how to die - I did what he told me. We both faked it."

Dan was staring at her with a rapt expression, Tom was grinning as he sat back and Aneisha and Keri both hugged Zoe, who laughed and hugged them both, smiling at Dan over her sister's shoulder.

* * *

Zoe smiled against Frank's shoulder as he hugged her tightly before letting her go. Zoe had a smile on her face as she moved to stand between Dan and Keri.

"Team, you did a good job." Frank said, glancing between the two sisters, who looked at each other and smiled. Now that they were standing side-by-side, Dan could see the resemblence between the two girls. Both were immature and naive in their own ways, both felt other people's pain like no-one any of the others had even seen.

There was one difference between the two that shone like a beacon to Aneisha, but it may not have been as obvious to the others. Dan was in love with Zoe. Zoe was in love with Dan. Keri wasn't in love with Dan and Dan definitely wasn't in love with Keri.

Aneisha, Tom, Frank, Keri and Stella started to walk out and Dan and Zoe moved to follow them, but Aneisha turned and shoved Dan backwards. "Yeah, no. You two are staying here until you are heavily making out and we have to pry you off each other."

"Why would you . . . Neish." Dan said in annoyance, glaring at her. Aneisha laughed, dancing into the lift with the others. "Have fun!"

Then the lift doors closed, leaving Dan and Zoe in HQ. Alone.

Dan turned to look at Zoe, who smiled at him. "You know you've grown up when you actually know exactly what Aneisha was talking about."

Dan smiled back at her. "You caught that?"

Zoe nodded and looked down. "Dan . . . At The Shadow Games, when I was ready to give up, you told me that you loved me. Did you mean it?"

"I - "

Zoe's eyes flickered up to look at him. "And give me the truth, Dan."

"I did mean it, Zo." Dan said. "I had to give you something to believe in, something real to hold on to. I didn't want you to give up. I guess it worked a lot better than I'd hoped."

"Well, everything worked out okay, didn't it?" Zoe asked. "Keri's okay, I'm back and I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere soon and as for you and me . . ." She trailed off, flushing as she looked away.

Dan's eyes rose to meet hers as she looked back at him, her eyes shining with everything that made her who she was.

"Sorry. I just have to do this at least once." Dan said.

Before Zoe could ask what he meant, Dan moved towards her, taking her face in his hands as he pressed his mouth against Zoe's. Zoe gasped into the kiss before she returned it, her hands moving around his waist and up his back, over his shoulder blades.

When they broke apart, Zoe rested her head against Dan's shoulder, her arms locked securely around his waist while Dan rested his head against her's.

"You know I'm not letting you go ever again, right?" Dan asked softly.

"Good." Zoe told him. "Because I don't want to go anywhere without you ever again."

Dan smiled and pressed a kiss to Zoe's hair. Zoe looked up at him, a small smile gracing her pretty features. "I love you, Dan."

Dan smiled and pressed a kiss to her head again, whispering, "I love you."

And for the first time in several months, after many nights spent crying, hoping, missing, wishing, loving, the two of them felt competely happy. Zoe had her Romeo back and Dan had his princess back.

* * *

**So what'd you guys think? Like it, love it, hate it? Please leave me a review, I'd love to know what you guys think of this.**

**- Iwillbelieveit**


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